Bei Gongminhao suppressed his anger. This must be Nan Xuzong requesting an imperial decree! Damn it, he thought he could rely on the power of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, but he didn't expect to be defeated by an imperial decree!
He angrily turned his sleeves and rode away on horseback.
At this moment, the matriarch of the Yuan family was also looking at Ji Dingbei. Ji Dingbei was quite surprised. He had originally planned to arrange Ji Wushang's marriage after returning, marrying her to Beigong Minhao, so as to help him on the battlefield. After all, he was the General of Zhenbei, and he and the Prince of Zhenbei shared military power. If the two families could join forces, who in the capital could bring down these two families?
No, that's not right. Ji Dingbei thought about it and realized that the Emperor must have thought of this. That's why he preemptively bestowed Ji Wushang upon Nan Xuzong as his wife. Otherwise, it would have been too late once Ji Dingbei announced Ji Wushang's marriage. The Emperor was afraid that he would form a marriage alliance with the Prince of Zhenbei!
Since he and Marquis Nan Aogan of Jinnan were political enemies, they could check and balance each other. Their political interests would be constrained by the marriage between Nan Xuzong and Ji Wushang, so the two families would neither be too harmonious nor too hostile! This bestowed marriage was a plan that killed three birds with one stone!
"General Ji, please receive the imperial decree?" The eunuch said immediately after a long time when Ji Dingbei had not yet stood up to receive the decree.
"Thank you for your great grace! Thank you for bestowing this heavenly marriage upon my daughter!" Ji Dingbei read aloud, bowed once, and then stood up to accept the imperial edict. Turning around, those who had been kneeling began to rise one after another.
"His Majesty instructed that this imperial edict was issued a bit hastily, and the congratulatory gifts will be sent later. I will bring them later, and I hope General Ji will not blame me for being in such a hurry," the eunuch added.
"Not at all, not at all. You've really troubled me, Your Excellency. I am deeply grateful." Ji Dingbei immediately bowed and said. The Emperor's reward was only a fleeting moment, a thought in an instant. What right did he, as a general, have to say anything?
“Alright then, I’ll head back to report to the emperor.” The father-in-law nodded with his orchid-like finger.
"If you are not in a hurry to return to the palace, I would like to ask you to stay and have a few cups of wine with my son as a wedding gift." Ji Dingbei was modest and beckoned to the table.
The father-in-law nodded and said, "Let's not drink anymore, this matter is urgent. Since it is the marriage of Young Master Ji and the Seventh Princess, then we wish you a long and happy life together and many children." The father-in-law was quite kind as he spoke to Ji Tiankui and the Seventh Princess, who were standing to the side in their wedding dresses.
"Thank you for your kind words, sir," Ji Tiankui said, and the Seventh Princess also bowed to express her gratitude.
The father-in-law nodded, then glanced around before finally fixing his gaze on Ji Wushang. Ji Wushang, feeling his gaze, returned the look with a smile.
"Miss Ji is indeed elegant, beautiful, and intelligent. We wish you and Prince Nan a happy marriage," the father-in-law said with a smile.
Ji Wushang paused for a moment, then bowed politely, "Thank you for your kind words, sir." His face was expressionless, revealing no emotion. The eunuch nodded, then stepped out. Only after he left did the people around him whisper among themselves.
Ji Dingbei glanced at Ji Wushang, whose eyes were clear and allowed him to look directly at him. Ji Dingbei nodded before looking away.
"Alright, it's time to go to the bridal chamber," Ji Dingbei said in a deep voice.
The officiating gentleman immediately snapped out of his daze, "Yes, the ceremony is complete, escort them to the bridal chamber!"
Ji Tiankui smiled at the Seventh Princess, and then together they held the big red ribbon and were led to the bridal chamber by several nannies.
At this moment, Ji Meiyuan turned her gaze to Ji Wushang and said with disdain, "I never expected that my eldest sister would marry the Prince of Nan. What a perfect match!" Everyone knew that she was being sarcastic.
Ji Wuxia listened and looked at her. "Why do I feel that my older sister isn't sad at all? She should be sad. No woman would want to marry a man like that!" Ji Wuxia said softly.
“Exactly, I just don’t understand, sister. Maybe it’s just a hobby for other people!” Ji Meiyuan whispered to Ji Wuxia, covering her mouth. The two of them immediately looked at each other and laughed.
Ji Wushang sneered and ignored them. Instead, he turned his gaze to Nan Xuzong. Nan Xuzong smiled and nodded at Ji Wushang. Feeling rather embarrassed, Ji Wushang could only lower his head or turn away.
The people at the banquet gradually began to drink. Everyone started to cheer and make merry. After all, this was a wedding banquet, and everyone wanted to be happy and lively. As for the imperial decree from earlier, everyone put it out of their minds. It wasn't them who were getting married. Even if it was a pity that Miss Ji was going to marry a lame and unfavored prince, that was her business.
For a time, the guests were filled with joy, and glasses clinked in celebration. Ji Dingbei returned to his courtyard to change into casual clothes before coming out to join the merriment. The matriarch of the family was pleased and also drank some wine.
Nan Jinxue sat there alone, but some sons of officials naturally came up to her and urged her to drink and chat. After a few drinks, she became a little drunk.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Ji Meiyuan nodded to Ji Wuxia, who immediately smiled.
It was already close to evening, and everyone had drunk quite a bit. Some left, while others stayed to make a ruckus in the bridal chamber.
Ji Tiankui was being plied with wine by a group of sons of officials, and Nan Jinxue, as Ji Tiankui's friend, naturally drank with him. Nan Jinxue was furious about Ji Wushang's marriage to Nan Xuzong, and could only channel her anger into countless cups of wine. Ji Wushang watched from afar, shook her head, and walked away.
As night fell quickly in late autumn, Ji Dingbei, seeing that Ji Tiankui had drunk so much, walked over and coughed lightly a few times. Ji Tiankui immediately reacted, opened his eyes, and said seriously, "Father."
"It's almost time, Tian Kui, don't be late," Ji Dingbei said with a grim expression.
"Yes, Father." Ji Tiankui nodded, then looked at everyone and said, "Tiankui will take his leave now. Please stay and have some more drinks."
The people at the table sighed, while Ji Dingbei glanced at them twice, then walked away. He really needed to have a proper talk with that Prince Nan; his daughter was truly different from before, and if she married him, he hoped to gain some benefits! As for her father, Marquis Nan Aogan, he would definitely pay him a visit. And as for the Prince of Zhenbei, well, he had no choice but to apologize!
At this moment, Nan Xuzong had Gong Shu push him around. The night was long, and Nan Xuzong was overjoyed at the thought that Ji Wushang was about to marry him. He resolved to protect her from the storms of life in the Marquis's mansion from then on!
"Young Master Nan?" Ji Dingbei called out to him from a distance. Nan Xuzong turned his head and saw his future father-in-law. He immediately cupped his hands in greeting and said, "General Ji, this junior greets you."
"No need for formalities." Ji Dingbei stepped forward and entered the pavilion, getting straight to the point, "I've come about your and my daughter's marriage."
"General, please speak. This junior will listen attentively." Nan Xuzong nodded, then waved for Gong Shu to leave. Gong Shu bowed to the two men and then went to wait aside.
"As the saying goes, 'A woman follows her husband wherever he goes,' and now that this is an imperial decree bestowing marriage upon my daughter, I have nothing to say. But there are some things I, as her father, must say, for my daughter's sake." Ji Dingbei looked at him, sized him up, and his eyes fell on his legs. "Is your leg ailment truly incurable?"
"Uncle, we haven't found a solution yet," Nan Xuzong said in a more friendly tone. If they had found a solution, would he still be stuck in this wheelchair?
"In that case, how can you give my daughter happiness?" Ji Dingbei stood up and sighed. "I'm not afraid to tell you frankly, my daughter originally liked your younger brother, the Second Young Master Nan. She was thinking of him, but I didn't grant her request at the time. Instead, she went to your Marquis's mansion and embarrassed herself. The Second Young Master Nan didn't like her, and my daughter even got caught in the rain and developed a high fever that wouldn't go down. When she woke up, she was a completely different person, and even I, as her father, found it strange."
But she has changed for the better. She thinks of her mother and younger brother Wu Zi all the time, and she also cares about our General Ji's mansion. She is kind to her younger sister, filial to her grandmother and aunt, and has severed all ties with the Second Young Master Nan. Her affairs are all decided by me, her father. Now, the imperial decree has been issued, and she is to marry you.
My only worry is her happiness after she marries you. As her father, I'm often away leading troops and can't take care of her frequently. I already feel guilty towards her birth mother, Bei Luo'er. Now, if she's unhappy after marrying you, how will I, as her father, face her mother in the future?"
Nan Xuzong listened, his eyes deep in thought. He truly hadn't known that she used to like Nan Jinxue! But now, he couldn't sense any such feelings from her for Nan Jinxue; instead, he felt her deep affection for him. So much so that he could sense her thoughts whenever she was thinking something—this must be what the books called a meeting of minds. If she still loved Nan Jinxue, she would surely be thinking of Nan Jinxue more often than him!
"Uncle, please rest assured, Xu Cong will definitely seek happiness for Miss. To be honest, from the moment I saw Miss from afar, I have admired her from the bottom of my heart. Now, since Miss has not objected to our marriage, it means she still has some confidence in me. Therefore, please give Xu Cong your confidence and entrust Miss to my care." Nan Xu Cong said solemnly, "Although my mother has passed away, my maternal grandmother, the Empress Dowager, still cares about me, her unfilial grandson. I am grateful for her favor, which has allowed me, Nan Xu Cong, to live to this day. How can I, Nan Xu Cong, fail to repay such kindness? Therefore, I hope you can rest assured and entrust Miss to me."
Upon hearing this, Ji Dingbei finally understood. He was saying that with the Empress Dowager's support, he wouldn't be so easily bullied. As for this marriage decree, it must have been the Empress Dowager who spoke to the Emperor, and the Emperor, after weighing the pros and cons, hastily issued the imperial edict.
Ji Dingbei nodded. "In that case, I am relieved."
Nan Xuzong nodded as well.
"Then I won't disturb you any longer. Young Master, please stay and enjoy yourself at the manor for a while." Ji Dingbei said, and then walked out. Nan Xuzong watched him leave.
Ji Wushang was actually hiding to the side, watching the two men talk. She didn't dare to go out, but seeing how much they were talking, she couldn't help but be afraid that Ji Dingbei might say something to hurt Nan Xuzong. After all, if he were to marry, marrying Beigong Minhao would definitely be the most helpful thing for him.
Ji Wushang watched Ji Dingbei walk away before coming out with Zhu'er. Her heart was pounding, but she still went out. Nan Xuzong's eyes flickered when he saw her.
Upon seeing this, Zhu'er whispered, "Miss, Zhu'er will go outside and take a look."
"Mm." Ji Wushang nodded.
Then, with a shy expression, she walked into the pavilion.
When Nan Xuzong saw her, he smiled. Ji Wushang felt happy just looking at him. This man rarely smiled, not even once in a thousand years.
"What did my father say to you?" Ji Wushang saw that although he was smiling, the important thing was what they had just talked about.
"He told me to take good care of you and not to mistreat you." Nan Xuzong's lips twitched slightly, and his eyes were as bright and clear as the moon in the sky.
"Mmm." Ji Wushang lowered his head and responded shyly.
“He also said…” Nan Xuzong stopped halfway through his sentence, and Ji Wushang immediately looked up. “What did he say?”
“You’re adorable,” Nan Xuzong suddenly said with a smile.
“Cute?” Ji Wushang squinted his glasses. “My father wouldn’t say that about me.”
“I said you’re cute,” Nan Xuzong said, looking at her with a smile. “Not your dad.”
"What else did my father say?" Didn't he just hear him say something else his father said? What if he said something bad about him? Ji Wushang stared at him with her big, bright eyes.
"Say that being able to marry you is the greatest blessing I have ever received."
"You're being indecent," Ji Wushang said reproachfully, knowing he probably wouldn't say anything, so she gave up.
"Why don't you go in and have a drink?" Ji Wushang looked at him, then at the people inside, all of whom were drunk, some pretending to be drunk, and others just pretending to be.
"With a beautiful woman here, it is better than three thousand cups of fine wine."
"I'm ignoring you. I'm going back now. I have things to do," Ji Wushang said, seeing that he was being irresponsible.
"Then, once we're in the Marquis's residence, we can have a long talk all night." Nan Xuzong was in a good mood. Whenever he teased her, he always found that she was just like a little woman, where was that sharp and ruthless spirit? That's why he had to cherish her even more!
After watching her leave with a slight blush on her face, Nan Xuzong sat down in the pavilion again.
"Come out!" Nan Xuzong looked at the bright moon and said to the figure in the darkness.
Bei Gongminhao listened, pursed his lips, and then walked out from under the tree into the pavilion. He smiled and said, "I never expected that you and Miss Wushang were truly in love. I never expected that she liked you. I never expected this!" Bei Gongminhao's three "I never expected this" made Nan Xuzong pause in surprise.
Had I overlooked him? Did he also have Wu Shang in his heart? What kind of story between him and Wu Shang had he kept from me?
"Hehe." Nan Xuzong chuckled twice. "Miss Wushang simply doesn't have any aversion to me, a cripple. There's no question of any romantic feelings between us now. Your Highness, if you still consider Xuzong a friend, you don't need to mock me anymore."
"I'm laughing at myself, humph." Bei Gongminhao glanced at Nan Xuzong. "Back in the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, you and I played chess together. Do you remember how well that game went?"
Nan Xuzong remained silent.
"My pawns, on the surface, seem to have annihilated you, but you have hidden troops in your camp. If you come to fight, I will surely die under your sword."
"Why must Your Highness describe the game of chess so seriously? That day, you were distracted, and I had no worries. Now, my feelings are no longer the same."
His implication was that the outcome of this game of chess was still uncertain. But, at the very least, in this battle for his wife, Nan Xuzong had won.
“She has you in her heart, and I have nothing to say about that. But if you change your mind, I will take her away at any time, no matter if she loves you or loves someone else.” Bei Gongminhao said directly, looking at the night sky.
"You think I'd give you that chance?" Nan Xuzong smiled wickedly and retorted. So, he must have heard and seen what just happened. Good, now that he knows Wu Shang loves him, he should understand the importance of backing down!
Looking into his eyes, Beigong Minhao knew his capabilities, and finally smiled and walked out, saying, "We'll see in a day."
Nan Xuzong watched him walk away before letting out a sigh, and the inner force he had gathered in his hand slowly dissipated.
Yes, I acted impulsively just now and actually released murderous intent. I'm still not calm enough.
"Master, do you need to go and look around?" Gong Shu returned to the pavilion only after seeing Bei Gong Minhao walk away. When he saw Bei Gong Minhao arrive, he wanted to rush forward and fight him to the death! But he held back!
I'm sure I can handle him!
Seeing that he seemed to be thinking about something, Nan Xuzong coughed and said, "No need, we'll stay here."
"yes."
——
Ji Wushang was just thinking of sneaking back to her own Xinyuan Garden to temporarily ignore what was happening outside, but unexpectedly, after walking through a few corridors, she saw Nan Jinxue already waiting for her ahead! What was he trying to do! Ji Wushang immediately turned around to leave, but he quickly caught up, "Miss Wushang, why are you leaving as soon as you see me!"
"Oh, it's Second Young Master Nan. I didn't see him clearly just now and thought it was someone else, which is why I turned around and left," Ji Wushang said coldly.
At this moment, Zhu'er also caught up, "Oh, what's the Second Young Master doing here? They were calling for you to drink at the banquet!"
"Is that so?" Nan Jinxue's eyes were deep as she stared at Ji Wushang. "I have been waiting here for Miss for a long time."
"Second Young Master Nan, isn't this inappropriate now? Waiting for me? No need. From now on, you'll be my brother-in-law, and I'll be your sister-in-law and brother-in-law. Don't you think that's already a good enough relationship?" Ji Wushang asked coldly. At this point, Nan Jinxue could finally give up on the relationship!
As expected, Nan Jinxue's eyes dimmed, and she cupped her hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "I was rash and impetuous."
"Farewell then." Ji Wushang bowed and walked away from him.
He turned back to look at her figure, but all that remained in his heart was a sigh.
"What are you doing here, Second Young Master Nan?" A sudden, sweet voice startled Nan Jinxue. She turned around abruptly and saw Ji Meiyuan standing in front of her. Ji Meiyuan was dressed beautifully, her gauze dress fluttering in the wind. Although it was late autumn and the wind was cold, she was still wearing such thin clothes.
Nan Jinxue looked displeased, but said politely, "I came out for a walk because the night was so beautiful. I won't disturb you any longer, Miss. I'll take my leave now."
"Why is it that when Young Master Nan sees me, he often tries to avoid me?" Ji Meiyuan asked. "Doesn't Young Master Nan know my feelings for him?" Ji Meiyuan was determined to go all out today, so she naturally didn't care about saving face or anything like that.